Who Should I Start? Deebo Samuel Sr. or Michael Pittman Jr.

Tuesday, June 17, 3:00 PM

Washington Commanders wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. is slated to play in his first game without a San Francisco 49ers uniform in September after he was acquired by Washington this offseason for a fifth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. The second-round pick out of South Carolina in 2019 has failed to match his monster 2021 season, when he racked up over 1,700 total yards and 14 touchdowns. In the three seasons following, he has averaged 13.6 games played, 731.3 receiving yards, 197.6 rushing yards, and seven touchdowns. He hasn't been the explosive playmaker we saw early in his career, which has led to many believing he could be well past his prime, thanks to injuries and a lack of staying in shape. However, head coach Dan Quinn is not concerned with his speed or explosiveness. "Somewhere along the way, I'd forgotten until [he was] out here how fast he is," Quinn said. "I can remember one time he just ran by somebody down the field on a deep ball, and I was like, 'Yeah, I forgot about that.' So, it didn't surprise me." He also called Samuel one of the fastest players on the roster. Entering 2025, Samuel has a wide range of outcomes behind No. 1 wide receiver, Terry McLaurin, who is currently seeking a new contract. Samuel is likely to have boom weeks, but he may no longer going to be a consistent and reliable weekly fantasy football producer. That said, a significant bounceback year is also a possibility.

Thursday, June 5, 11:30 PM

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (knee) had an initial injury scare in voluntary OTA practice on Thursday when he bumped knees with a defender, but he's expected to be OK, a source told FOX 59's Mike Chappell. Pittman is sore and expected to be fine, but he'll likely be held out of mandatory minicamp next week as a precaution. The initial thought was that the 27-year-old former second-round pick (34th overall) in 2020 out of USC was dealing with another back injury, which was something he battled through for the majority of the 2024 campaign. He should be ready to go for training camp this summer as he looks to bounce back from a 69-808-3 line in 16 games (14 starts) in 2024. Pittman still has WR2 upside, but as a possession receiver, his best-case scenario for fantasy upside in 2025 is if Daniel Jones wins the QB battle over Anthony Richardson (shoulder).